Huntsville 2010 census a portrait in black and white; Our future will be determined how we respond to the data (By Jerry Mitchell)

Downtown Huntsville as seen from a location off Governors Drive. (The Huntsville Times/File photo)

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama _ In March, The Huntsville Times presented, "Outlook 2012, Census: The Changing Face of North Alabama." The series examined changes over time reflected in information collected in the 2010 census.

One article focused on progress made by African Americans and stated that black residents in Madison County saw gains in population, median household income, and educational attainment.

Specifically highlighted were:

* Madison County's black population grew from 63,000 to 80,000, becoming 24 percent of the county's total population;

* The median income for black households grew by 21 percent to $35,000;

* And black men and women ages 25 and up reported having earned bachelor's or graduate degrees at the rates of 25 percent and 32 percent respectively.

The article then moved to some sobering statistics, noting that the 2010 census also shows lingering disparities in Alabama between black residents and overall averages.

The data revealed that black residents in Madison County are less likely to own their home, are more likely to live with three or more generations in a single home and are much more likely to be raised by a single mother.

So while black residents made significant gains, the census shows some large gaps remain in terms of income, education and poverty. For example, median income for white households in Madison County grew to nearly $63,000 in 2010, while 23 percent of black residents live below the poverty level but only 8 percent of white residents do so.

A UAHuntsville sociology professor offers a number of explanations for the disparities. She opines: "African-American families in general have more female-headed families than any other population group. The explanations are debated, but, lack of marriageable men is one explanation. Women don't marry men that don't have income. For black men in particular, they are more likely to be affected by downturns in economy, have low-wage jobs and higher imprisonment rates."

Madison County census data given to support these statements included 6.4 percent of white families compared to 25.9 percent of black families consist of a single mother with children.

The statistics in the article and the opinions therein still left me looking for the "whys". Here is some of what I found. I present the information as an addendum to Outllook:

Huntsville reported an unemployment rate of 7.0 percent for 2010. The 2005-2009 average unemployment rate was 9.5 percent for the city. Despite the decreased unemployment rate, the unemployment rate for African Americans was disproportionately higher.

The average unemployment rate in Huntsville from 2005-2009 was 14.2 percent for African Americans and 6.9 percent for Hispanics, compared to 5.5 percent for whites. This meant significant loss of income for a number of households and demonstrates a need for diversity in types of employment and industry recruitment.

The average unemployment rate in Huntsville from 2005-2009 was 14.2 percent for African Americans and 6.9 percent for Hispanics, compared to 5.5 percent for whites.

With the world's highest incarceration rate, the U.S. locks up more than 2 million people, half of them African Americans. U.S. prison populations have increased eight-fold over the past four decades and in Alabama the population has doubled in the last 20 years.

Mass incarceration has severed social networks, left one in 14 black children with a parent in prison, and created lifelong employment barriers for the 95 percent of prisoners who eventually return to their communities. As of January, Alabama had 32,358 inmates serving time under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Corrections as well as those in custody of other correctional authorities, such as county jails, other states' prison systems, community correction programs, federal prisons, and privately leased facilities.

Black males account for 17,895 or 60.1 percent of this population. In 2010, Madison County ranked No. 3 in the top 5 county jail populations behind Jefferson and Mobile counties.

Workforce Management magazine reports that racism still persists in inclusive cultures. According to a June 2010 article, racial and gender disparity in hiring and promotions are still evident in data produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and other statistical sources.

White employees account for nearly two-thirds of total employment numbers. Nearly 90 percent of executive/senior-level officers and managers are white, with white men continuing to dramatically outnumber all other management groups, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The census data provides us history, meaning we are presented with the discovery, organization and presentation of the past, but no analysis. Since this is called an Outlook, it is but one way of looking at things. The true prospect for our future will be determined by the manner in which we address the information offered by Outlook.

Jerry Mitchell is president/CEO of the North Alabama African American Chamber of Commerce.